Unstoppable growth: The Velodrome, prelude to the Old Chamartín Stadium.

The sale of the land at O’Donnell in order to build housing resulted in Real Madrid having to find a new stadium. The Velodrome at Ciudad Lineal was suitable for what was needed at the time (1923). Arturo Soria, its designer, adapted it for football. It was the first ground with grass, and had capacity for 8,000 fans. Its spaciousness and comfort were not sufficient advantages though, given the difficulty in getting to the ground. A year later the club would build a stadium at Chamartín, abandoning Ciudad Lineal.

After winning the Central Region title in 1923, Real Madrid abandoned the old ground at O’Donnell and set itself the adventurous task of building a new stadium. A year later the Old Chamartín Stadium was born. A historic sporting complex with capacity for 15,000 fans, the Whites called it home for 23 years. The Whites’ inaugurated the ground with a close 3-2 victory over the English side Newcastle, at the time a fearsome opponent.

Carlos López-Quesada, a former Whites’ player, and several times a club administrator, was the man behind the idea. José María Castell was in charge of the construction work. The project included the construction of a grandstand with a roof with a capacity for 4,000 seated fans, with all the amenities and comfort. Controversy arose when it came to naming the stadium. While a group wanted to name it ‘Parque de Sports del Real Madrid’, the majority wanted to call it ‘Campo del Real Madrid Fútbol Club’. The fans however called it ‘Chamartín’, and despite never being its official name, this is the name that went down into history.